Method of and apparatus for assorting tipped cigarettes



Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,062

E. KOERNER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ASSORTING TIPPED CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 31. 1925 INVENTOR Ewald Koerner ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

EWALD KOERNER, or DRESDEN, GERMANY, assreivoa TO UNITED CIGARETTE TIA- came (10., INC., or LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, A oonrom'rron or VIRGINIA.

. METHOD OF AN?!) APPARATUS FOR ASSORTIN'G TIPPED CIGARETTES.

Application filed December 31, 1923. Serial No. 583,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EWALD KOERNER, a citizen of the Republic of Germany, and resident of Dresden, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Assorting Tipped Cigarettes, of which the followingis a specification. i

This invention relates to cigarette machines of the continuous rod type, and more particularly to those making tipped cigarettes; and has special reference to the-provision of a method of and apparatus for efficiently assorting the tipped rod cigarettes in two separate rows with the tipped ends of the cigarettes in each row arranged in like position.

In cigarette machines for making tipped cigarettes, either before the continuous wrapper enters the folding channel or after the cigarette rod is completed, a strip of tipping material of the Width of two tips is applied at intervals on the wrapper or around the cigarette rod, the distance between the centers of said strip being equal to the length of two cigarettes. The cigarette rod on emerging from the folding channel with its tipping material thereon is cut into cigarette lengths, and the cigarettesemerge from the machine with their tipped ends abutting. In order to facilitate packaging, the cut cigarettes are assorted in two separate rows with the tipped ends of the cigarettes in each row arranged in like position, the tipped ends of all the cigarettes in one row pointing in one direction, while the tipped ends of those in the other row point in the oppesite direction.

The assorting of the cigarettes into separate stacks or rows is most effectively accomplished by automatic mechanism which operates to feed the cut cigarettes alternately into two separate rows or piles, and heretofore this has been accomplished by the utilization of special auxiliary means such as movable elements, fingers, guard plates and the like, which. operate to deliver the cigarettes alternately to the different stacks. With the use of such special auxiliary means the cigarettes were delivered to the assorting station, as for example onto an assorting tape or conveyor, with the same speed of movement as that of the cigarette rod; or were delivered in sucha way that a feeding movement was imparted to the cigarettes, with the result that the cigarettes, especially in high speed machines, were thrown onto the assorting conveyor in disorder, rendering the packaging of the same relatively diflicult. On modern cigarette machines with a capacity of approximately half a million cigarettes per day, it isv found that the cigarettes, which emerge from the rod channel at an enormous speed, are conveyed in such a way that the cigarettes are thrown in disorder when delivered to and turn when falling upon the assorting conveyor; and even in machines of less daily output, it is found that the cigarettes are discharged onto the conveyor in disorder and are damaged by impact with the assorting mechanism. The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for assorting, tipped cigarettes in which these dis-' advantages are successfully obviated.

By means of the method and apparatus of the present invention, the cigarettes issuing from the rod channel of the cigarette machine are fed alternately into two different moving paths with the cigarettes in each path having their tipped ends facing in one direction, the-cigarettes in each path being advanced at a speed considerably less than and substantially one-half'that of the speed of movement of the cigarette rod, the thus assorted cigarettes being delivered to the assorting conveyor in two separate piles without the auxiliary means employed in prior devices and without imparting the undesirable feeding motion to the cigarettes.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other, as herein'after particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of my invention, and in which: Y

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of my invention for assorting the cigarettes.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. v

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of=a modified apparatus embodying my invention, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view thereof.

Before describing the invention in detail, I desire to premise that the method of assor-ting the tipped rod cigarettes of my invention consists more specifically in feeding the rod cigarettes emerging from the cigarette machine alternately onto two separate conveyors each moving at a speed substantially less than and about one half of the speed of movement of the cigarette rod, so that the cigarettes on each of the conveyors are arranged with their tipped ends pointing in the same direction, and so that the cigarettes are delivered to the assorting station at a relatively low speed without changing the rate of delivery of the cigarettes for a given machine.

Referring now to Figs. l to 3 of the drawings, I show an apparatus for practicing the steps of the method, the said apparatus comprising a carrier in the form of a disk a divided centrally into two conical sections, the conicity of the said sections being arranged in opposite directions in such a way that the conical part of one-half of the disk is arranged to deflect or direct the cigarettes 0. 0 received from the rod channel of the cigarette machine to the right, and the conical section of the other half of the disk is arranged to deflect or direct cigarettes to the left. The carrier disk (1 is fixed on a shaft Z2 driven in any suitable manner by the cigarette machine, the said shaft 7) also carrying on opposite sides of the disk (1 the drive wheels or pulleys c. Movable over the drive wheels or pulleys 0 and over the spaced guiding rollers e, there are provided the two endless conveyors or transporting tapes d, (Z for receiving the cigarettes deflected thereto by the carrier disk a and guided thereto by the guide-means g, and

for conveying the same to the assorting statlon, where they are discharged onto an assorting conveyor or tape 7, which moves transversely with respect to the conveyors 03, 0!. The conveyors d, d are made of different lengths, as clearly shown in the drawings, so t at the cigarettes are discharged therefrom onto the assorting tape f in different rows, as fully shown in Figs. 1 and 2. v

Each half revolution of the disk a corresponds to the period of delivery of a cigarette 0 from the cigarette machine, so that substantially less than that of the cigarette rod, and as heretofore indicated at a speed substantially one-half that of the cigarette rod, so that the cigarettes will be assorted one closely behind the other on the transporting tapes, and will arrive at the assorting tape f at a considerably reduced speed.

In the practiceof the method and the use of the apparatus of the present invention, it will be further seen that the cigarettes are moved in parallel paths and arrive on the assorting tape f in a direction parallel to the cigarette rod in two well defined separate piles.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, wherein I show a modified apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention, the carrier for deflecting the cigarettes alternately onto the separate conveyors comprises an open link chain 1' or its equivalent trained over the sprocket wheels 0, c fixed on the spaced shafts Z), 6. The chain 2' is provided with sets of deflecting members such as the tin plates 70, the sets of plates sloping alternately in opposite directions as clearly shown in the drawings for deflecting the cigarettes alternately onto the endless conveyors d, d which are trained over the wheels 0 c fixed to the front shaft 1) and the spaced guide rollers e, 6 similar to the construction heretofore described. The transporting tapes or conveyors d, d also move at half the speed of the cigarette rod, so that the cigarettes will be assorted on the conveyors one immediately behind the other, and will be carried in parallel paths for discharge upon the assorting tape f at the desired relatively low speed.

While I have shown the device in the preferred forms, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of assorting tipped rod cigarettes into two separate rows which consists in feeding the rod cigarettes alternately into different moving paths thereby to divide the cigarettes into sets with the cigarette in each set arranged with the tipped ends facing in one direction, in advancing ill!) the cigarettes in each path at a speed substantially less than that of the cigarette rod, and in delivering the cigarettes of the different paths in se arate rows.

2. The method 0 assorting tipped rod cigarettes into two separate rows which consists in feeding the rod ci arettes alternately into two different moving paths with the cigarette in each path in alnement and arranged with the tipped ends facing in one direction, in advancing the ci arettes in each path at a speed substanti y one-half 'stantially less than that of the cigarette rod and in discharging the cigarettes from said conveyors in se arate rows.

4. The method 0 sorting a continually moving succession of cigarettes into sets, with the alternate cigarettes in one set and the intermediate cigarettes in. the other, without interrupting the movement there of, and without changing the direction of movement, which comprises alternately moving the cigarettes'laterally in opposite directions.

5. .In apparatus of the class described, a'

plurality of conveyors moving on. parallel lines alongside each other, and means between the conveyors to alternately deflect the cigarettes of a continuous succession laterally in op osite directions with the cigarettes of each set in alinement on the appropriate conveyor.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a plurality of conveyors moving on parallel lines alongside eachother, and means between the conveyors to alternately deflect the cigarettes of a continuous succession laterally in opposite directions with the cigarettes ofeach set in alinement on the a propriate conveyor, said means moving wit the cigarettes.

7. In a continuous rod cigarette machine, an apparatus for assorting tipped rod cigarettes into two separate rows comprising a pair of parallel moving conveyors, an assorting conveyor moving transversely thereof, and means for feeding the rod cigarettes alternately onto the parallel conveyors for delivery to the assorting conveyor.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a.

laterally onto two sepplurality of conveyors moving on parallel lines alongside each other, and means between the conveyors to alternately deflect the cigarettes of a continuous succession laterally in opposite directions with the cigarettes of each set in alinement on the appropriate conveyor, the conveyors moving at half the speed of the succession for the purpose set forth.

\ 9. In a continuous rod cigarette machine, an apparatus for asserting tipped rod cigarettes-into two separate rows comprising a pair of endless conveyors of different lengths, means for feeding the rod cigarettes alternately onto the endless conveyors with the cigarettes in each conveyor arranged with the tipped ends facing in one direction and means for moving the endless conveyors at a speed substantially one-half the speed of movement of the cigarette rod, and a transversely moving asserting conveyor receiving the cigarettes in different rows from the said endless conveyors.

10. In a continuous rod cigarette machine, an apparatus for assorting tipped rod cigarettes into two separate rows comprising a pair of conveyors and means for feeding the rod cigarettes alternately onto the said pair of conveyors, the said means comprising a carrier arranged to receive the cigarettes 'fro'mthe rod channel of the cigarette machine and provided .with deflecting members sloping alternately in opposite directions.

11. In a continuous rod cigarette machine, an apparatus for assorting tipped rod cigarettes into two separate rows comprising a pair of conveyors and means for feeding the rod cigarettes alternately onto the said conveyors, the said means comprisin a rotating carrier disk arranged to receive the 

